Coyote Gifts

The coyote are also known as the American jackal or the prairie
wolf. Coyotes are a species of canine found throughout North
and Central America, ranging from Panama in the south, north
through Mexico, the United States and Canada.

What is the Difference Between a Coyote and a Wolf?

What is the Difference Between a Coyote and a Wolf?

Coyotes and wolves are two different species. A coyote
is a member of Canis latrans, while a wolf is a member
of Canis lupus. Wolves are much larger animals than
coyotes. Wolves grow to approximately 5 feet in length
(not counting a tail length of 11–20 inches) and nearly
3 feet in height at the shoulder, while coyotes grow
to nearly 3 feet in length (not counting a tail length
of 12–16 inches) and approximately 2 feet in height
at the shoulder. Wolves can weigh anywhere from 55 to
85 pounds, while coyotes weigh anywhere from 15 to 46
pounds. The largest recorded wolf weighed 190 pounds,
while the largest recorded coyote weighed nearly 75
pounds. Wolves also run slightly slower than coyotes:
they reach 34 to 38 miles per hour, opposed to coyotes,
which reach 43 miles per hour.

Coyotes typically hunt in pairs, although they have
been observed in packs. Coyote packs are usually smaller
than wolf packs and the pack hierarchy is less stable.
In areas where wolves have been exterminated, coyotes
usually fill the void. They coexist with humans much
better than wolves do.

Coyotes make a variety of sounds, including: barking,
howling, huffing, whimpering, whining, yelping, and
yipping. Their calls may be a long, rising and falling
note, or short notes. Coyotes are often heard at dusk
or night. They are most commonly made during mating
season (spring) and when the young coyotes leave to
establish their own territory (fall). When a coyote
calls its pack, he howls a single high note. When the
pack is together, it howls higher, and the rest of the
pack yips and yelps.